Mechanism for cutting, crushing, and dislodging ice or sleet on the third rail of electric railroads.



'PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

V V HlKLBIN. I MEGHANISM FQRGUIIING, GRUSHING, ANDDISLODGING ICB 0R sLBET 0N THE 'IHIRDRAILS 0F ELECTRIC RAILROADS;

vAPPLICATION FILED PEB.Y17, 1903.

I0 MODEL. i

, wTNESsEs.:

UNITED STATES,

l PATENT Orme HENRY KLEIN, or HoBoKENQNEw JERSEY.' I

IIIECHANIsIvI FOR CUTTING, CRUSHINC, AND DIsLoDeINe ICE 0R sLEET CN'THE THIRD-RAIL 0E ELECTRIC ITAIL'RoADs. yf

sPncrFIeAtrroN forming part of' Letters Pten'lve. 726,225, dated Apr`i12`119oe.

' Appleman sied Pebl-wy 17, 190s. lsans No. 143,786.' oto anus-In i To all whom, it Wwf/y concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jer-L sey, have invented a new and useful Meehan! ism for Cutting, Crnshingfand DislodgingIce or Sleet on the Third Rails of Electric Railroads, of whi-ch the followingis aspecitication.

My invention relates to electric-railroad Systems in which the operating-current is transmitted from the dynamo to the Inotor by a rail-conductor commonly known as the third rail.7 The third rail in such systems of traction, while conforming tothe requirements of the service underordinary conditions, is when coated with ice .or sleet precluded from contact with theshoe communicating with the motor, and as th-e cleaningbrush cannot remove the impediment the motor deprived of power'is rendered inoperative. Trafc on the road is then interrupted or suspended until contactr is restored by the presentation of avcleafn 'rail to *the shoe. This is accomplished satisfactorily by my invention, which, havingvforfits object the res-- toration and maintenanceof contact between the rail and the shoe, consists of a mechanism that cuts, crushes, and dislodges the ice or sleet formed on and adhering to the contact-surface of the railjand thus in facilitating its removal by the brush produces a clean rail, affording the desired contact with the I attain this object by the devices tion; `and Fig.` 5, a central vertical section of same in the plane 'y y, Fig. 4.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame of the mechanism, consisting ofV a cross-piece C and guides G, is attached by bolts and nuts or other appropriate means to the car-truck T; but-When desired it can be or tothe side of the bodyofthe car. In the guides G are slots a, adapted, withprovision for rectilinear motion, to receive the ends or ,journals'of an axle orv shaft A,fupon which connected in suitable mannerto the bottom4 thevcrown of same and the under surface of the cross-piece C of the frame, directs and adjusts the cutting-wheel W in the frame and forces it into violent contact with the rail R. The shank of fork F, passing througha hole h in the cross-piece C, has swiveled at its end on the threaded pin 1), withengaged nut, a handle-bar H for lifting the cutting-wheel W from the rail R. When the hand'le-bar-H in lifting. the cutting-'wheelW'isturned or swung '-around on its pinp at thefproperzelevation, it

drops into the notch 'n 'of thestandfard L, fastened to the cross-piece C of -the'frameas in Figs. 4 and 5, where it rests and supports the said cutting-wheel in the raisedposition.

I'n the modification of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the axle or shaft A, with rthe cutting-Wheel W rigidlyrsleeured to it, ro-

tates or revolves 'in the tinejs or-tprongs of the fork F, which serve as bearings for the purpose, and also by its journals inbearings b, that slide in the'slotsa. j

In operation the cutting-wheel W of my mechanism, under direction of the fork F and pressure of the spring S, bears forcibly upon the rail R and adjusts itself to all elevations and depressions of same.w As the vsaid cutting-Wheel W proceeds when given motion by the car equipped with the mechanism it rotates or revolves on "they axle or shaft A and by the direction of the fork F and pressure of the spring S, exerted through the medium of the frame of the mechanism, cuts, crushes, and dislodges the ice or sleet on the said rail R, which when removed by the brush produces a clean rail, aording contact with the shoe communicating with IOC the motor. When conditions are such that the services of the mechanism are not required, the cutting-Wheel W is withdrawn from the rail R by the handle-bar H, which when swung;r around on the pinp rests in the notch n of the standard L, connected to the frame, and there supports the said cuttingwheel Wr above the rail R'.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Theccmbination, in anice-cutting mechanism for the third rail of electric railroads, of the frame, consistingI of a cross-piece C and guides G, and of spring S bearing on the said cross-piece, with a toothed cutting-Wheel W, axle or shaft A and fork F, all substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, in an ice-cuttingmechanism for the third rail of electric railroads, of a fork F, having on the end of its shank a threaded pin p engaged by a nut, and the perforated handle-bar H swiveled on said pin, with the standard L attached to the frame, having at its top a notch n adapted to the said handle-bar, all substantially as herein shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY KLEIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. SPEER, HANS C. JENSEN. 

